One Defense official pushed back on the notion of a disagreement between the White House and the Pentagon over Rood’s replacement.
The number of high-level civilian vacancies at the Pentagon has hit a new high for the Trump administration as lawmakers raise concerns that the department doesn’t have enough qualified people in place to tackle the nation’s biggest national security problems.
More than a third of all Senate-confirmed civilian positions at the Department of Defense are now vacant or filled by temporary officials, a peak level for the administration outside of the transition period, according to information provided to POLITICO by a Defense Department spokesperson. Out of 60 senior positions, 21 lack permanent appointees. Thirteen of those positions have no nominee identified, including the slots for comptroller, space policy chief, and the head of international security affairs.
Lawmakers this week raised new questions about the state of civilian control of the military in the Trump era, as the administration faces decisions on winding down the war in Afghanistan, countering Iran’s military moves and investing for competition with China and Russia.
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Part of the challenge of filling senior positions is that the White House personnel office, which is led by a 29-year-old Trump loyalist, is now trying to exert more control over the Pentagon’s nominating process. The two offices have not yet settled on a choice to replace John Rood, who served as the Pentagon’s top policy official until he was forced out in February, four defense and administration officials tell POLITICO.
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The number of high-level civilian vacancies at the Pentagon has hit a new high for the Trump administration as lawmakers raise concerns that the department doesn't haven't enough qualified people in place to tackle the biggest national security problemshttps://t.co/hwFjegfXjJ
— POLITICO (@politico) March 6, 2020
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